Schools in Zip Code 39470

Zip code 39470 is home to four public schools in Poplarville, Mississippi, serving approximately 1,969 students across grades PK–12, all part of the Poplarville School District, which is ranked 8th out of 134 districts in the state with a 5-star rating. The district includes Poplarville Lower Elementary (PK–2), Poplarville Upper Elementary (3–5), Middle School Of Poplarville (6–8), and Poplarville High School (9–12). Every tested school outperforms Mississippi state averages in nearly every subject, making this one of the strongest school systems in the state.

Poplarville High School is the district's flagship, ranked #11 out of 224 Mississippi high schools with a 96.1% graduation rate and standout proficiency in Algebra I (87.8%), Biology (88.5%), and U.S. History (91.3%). It also has the lowest free/reduced lunch rate (49.6%) and the lowest student-teacher ratio (12.4:1) in the district. Middle School Of Poplarville has climbed to the 82nd percentile and posts the district's lowest chronic absenteeism rate at 17.0%, with strong 8th grade science (74.4% proficient). Poplarville Upper Elementary is the most improved school, jumping from the 65th to the 83rd percentile in two years with exceptional 5th grade science (89.8% proficient). Poplarville Lower Elementary serves the youngest students with no test data, but its 25.1% chronic absenteeism rate — the highest in the district and above the state average — is an early warning sign.

Science is the district's greatest academic strength across all grade spans, exceeding state averages by 16 to 25 points. English Language Arts is the relative weak spot, especially in middle school, where 7th and 8th grade ELA proficiency sits near 44%. A notable concern is Poplarville Upper Elementary's 4th grade ELA drop from 76.8% to 60.7% in one year, despite the school's overall improvement. Chronic absenteeism is concentrated in early grades, with both elementary schools above the state average of 23.9%. Free/reduced lunch rates range from 49.6% to 64.1%, indicating moderate economic diversity, yet academic performance remains consistently strong — a sign that Poplarville schools achieve excellent results for a broad range of students.